Jen's Dinner ideas

Jenn's suggestion for dinner is this:

Divide your plate into quarters. In one corner you put a protein - either meat, fish, or beans. Use 1/2 of the plate to fill with vegetables, and try to use as many different colours as you can. The last 1/4 of the plate is for grain - rice, quinoa, couscous, pasta - usually about 1/2 cup.

Dessert should be fresh fruit of any type you desire.

Jenn's PM Snack Ideas

Snack #1 - Pitas & Dip

5-6 whole grain mini pitas
2-4 tbsp black bean dip or hummus

Snack #2: Apple and Cheese

1 small apple
1 cheese string

Snack #3: Edamame

boiled Edamame (fresh/frozen soya beans - found in freezer section of most grocery stores)

Snack #4 Deluxe Applesauce

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp roasted soy nuts
sprinkle of cinammon

Snack #5: Veggies and Milk

l cup mixed raw vegetables
1 cup chocolate milk

Snack #6 Tortilla Apple/Peanut Butter Wrap

apple slices
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 6" whole grain tortilla (roll apple and pb inside)

Snack #7 - Cottage Cheese with Fruit

1/2 cup All Bran Buds
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup berries

Snack #8: Crackers, Cheese, Veggies

1 light baby bell cheese
1 cup mixed raw veggies
4-6 whole grain crackers

Snack #9: Shrimp

1/2 cup raw veggies
10-15 small shrimp
4 tbsp shrimp sauce

Snack #10: Yogurt and Fresh Fruit

1 indiv. portion of NS added yogurt
1 small piece fruit (apple, orange, pear)

Jenn's Lunch Ideas

Lunch #1 Chicken, Rice and Veggies

3 oz baked chicken
1/2 cup brown rice
sweet potato wedges - baked
sliced cold cooked beets (or veggie of your choice
1 cup skim, 1% or soya milk
water

Lunch #2: Salmon Pita

2.5 oz cold cooked salmon
1/2 whole wheat pita
1/2 to 1 cup mixed veggies (shredded carrots, purple cabbage, lettuce, spinach)
water

Lunch #3 - Turkey Sandwich

2 slices pumpernickel bread
2.5 oz lean turkey meat
1 slice light swiss cheese
tomato slices, spinach (on sandwich)
mustard and/or pepper as desired
2 raw carrots - peeled
water or green tea

Lunch #4: Vegetarian Burrito

1 whole wheat tortilla
1/4 cup low-fat refried beans
1 cup chopped lettuce
1/2 red or green pepper - diced
2 tbsp salsa
2 tbsp low fat grated cheese
water or herbal tea

Lunch #5: Homemade English Muffin Pizza

1 whole wheat English Muffin cut in half
green pepper, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms
1/4 cup pizza sauce
1 oz cooked chicken if desired
1/2 cup light shredded mozzarella cheese
dried basil or oregano as desired

Prepare each half of the muffin as if it were a mini-pizza. Broil in toaster oven or regular oven until cheese melts and bubbles.

dessert: granny smith apple sliced and served with 2 tbsp peanut butter

Lunch#6: Lunch Box Chili Rice and Beans

1/2 cup cooked brown rice
2/3 cup cooked kidney beans
1/4 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
1/4 cup green bell pepper
1 tbsp chopped onion
1/4 tsp chili powder

Combine all ingredients, stir to mix. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until hot.
water or tea
dessert - clementine

Lunch#7 - Chef's Salad

2 cups mixed greens
mixed shredded vegetables of different colours
1 hard boil egg
1.5 oz low fat cheese, cubed
1 slice multi-grain bread
1 tsp non-hydrogenated margarine
water or herbal tea

Lunch #8 - No-fuss lunch

Low sodium ready to serve soup
1 cup skim or soya milk
dessert - mixed berries
water

Lunch #9: Tuna Pita

1 17cm whole wheat pita bread
3 oz light tuna, canned in water
1 tsp light mayonnaise
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tsp raisins
water or green tea

Lunch #10: Chickpea Couscous Salad and Green Beans

1/2 cup raw green beans
3/4 cup cooked chick peas
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
fresh parsley (if desired)
1/2 cup diced red pepper
fresh ground pepper, balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
combine all ingredients and enjoy

dessert: 1/2 cup canned peaches in water or light syrup

Morning Snack Ideas

AM Snack #1
(G) ½ whole wheat English muffin
(M) part-skim cheese (1.5 oz) broiled on top
water

AM Snack #2
(F) fresh strawberries (1 cup)
(Me/A) almonds (10 whole)
water and/or green tea

AM Snack #3
(Me/A) 1 hard boiled egg
(F) grapes (½ cup or 17 small)
water

AM Snack #4
(V) celery – 2 stalks
(Me/A) peanut butter 2 tbsp
water and/or herbal tea

AM Snack #5
(V) mixed raw veggies (1 cup- various colours)
(M) chocolate milk (1 cup)
water

AM Snack #6
(V) mixed raw veggies – 1 cup
(Me/A) – hummus – 2 tbsp
water and/or coffee/tea

AM Snack #7
(G) high fibre granola bar
(F) small apple
water and/or herbal tea

AM Snack #8
(M) light baby bell cheese
(V) mixed raw veggies (1 cup)
water

AM Snack #9
(F) banana
(Me/A) unsalted peanuts – 1.5 oz
water and/or green tea

AM Snack #10
(M) yogurt, NS added (100g indiv.portion)
(F) smll piece of fresh fruit
water

Jen's Food Plan

I've promised several people that I would send them Jen's food plan that she created for me, and it just seems easier to post it here. I'll start with Breakfast, and eventually add everything as I have time.

The Key to the bracketed letters in front of each food is:

(Me/A) = meat or alternatives (ex. beans and legumes)

(F) = Fruit

(G) = Grain

(M) = milk - 1%, skim or low-fat soy

BREAKFAST IDEAS:

Breakfast #1 (G) Fibre 1 Original Cereal (½ cup) (G) 1 slice whole wheat toast OR another ½ cup of whole grain cereal (multi-grain Cheerios) (Me/A) peanut butter (2 tbsp) (F) - ½ banana (M) – milk, skim or 1% (1 cup) water	Breakfast #2 (G) 1 cup All Bran Flakes (M) milk, skim or 1% (½ cup) (F) orange (medium) (Me?A) – hard boiled egg (1) Water and/or cup of green tea
Breakfast #3 (Me/A) 1 egg (poached or fried) (fat) non-hydrogenated argarie (1 tsp) or non-stick cooking spray (G) 1 whole grain English muffin (F) ½ grapefruit (sweetened with splenda if needed) (M) yogurt, no sugar added (¾ cup) water	Breakfast #4 (g) All Bran Flakes (½ cup) (G) Kashi Go Lean (½ cup) (M) milk, skim or 1% (1 cup) (F) fresh fruit salad (½ cup) water and/or herbal tea
Breakfast #5 (Me/A) 1 egg (poached or fried in minimal margarine or use non-stick cooking spray) (G) 1 whole grain English muffin (F) ½ grapefruit (sweetened with splenda if needed) (M) yogurt, no sugar added (¾ cup) water	Breakfast #6 (Me/A) – back bacon or ham (1oz) (G) 2 whole grain waffles (F) hot unsweetened applesauce (½ cup) (free extras) – cinnamon (½ tsp) (M) yogurt, no sugar added (¾ cup) water and or coffee/tea
Breakfast #7 (G) Miltigrain Cheerios (½ cup) (G) All Bran Buds (1/3 cup) (M) cottage cheese, low-fat (1 cup) (F) Mixed berries, fresh or frozen (1 cup) water and/or herbal tea	Breakfast #8 Smoothie (M) yogurt, no sugar added (1/3 cup) (M) milk, skim or 1% (¾ cup) (F) mixed berries, fresh or frozen (2/3 cup) (F) ½ banana (G) slow cook oats, raw (¼ cup) (fat) – ground flaxseed (1 – 2 tsp) water (2tbsp in smoothie)
Breakfast #9 (G) plain rice cakes (2) (Me/A) peanut butter (2 tbsp) (F) ½ banana, sliced (M) milk, skim or 1% (1 cup) (sweets) honey – (1 – 2 tsp) water and/or green tea	Breakfast #10: Grab and Go Trail Mix (G) whole grain cereal, mixed ¾ cup (I.e Shreddies, Vector, All Bran Flakes, Multigrain Cheerios, Fibre 1) (F) dried cranberries (1/8 cup) (F) raisins (1/8 cup) (Me/A) mixed nuts (¼ cup) unsalted (M)yogurt – no sugar added – indiv. Portion hot water with lemon wedge

Episode 32

Wow - I have really been slacking off where posting is concerned! Sometimes life gets in the way and blogging is the last thing on my mind.

If you follow my podcast, you will know that I have been having issues with Podbean and getting episodes to upload. Podbean was having site problems, and I'm so unsavvy that I couldn't figure out if it was me or Podbean. For a while it looked like they just wanted more money from me, and since there are other free hosting sites around (Mevio) I decided to move.

I think everything is sorted out now, and both episode 31 and 32 should be available for download. Technical problems are my least favourite part of the internet.

So - since I posted last I have started a Half Marathon training program. I'm using the run/walk plan from John Bingham's Marathoning for Mortals. I own the book and I think it's a reasonable plan for me to follow. There is one race here in London on May 5, but I'm holding out to see if my fave running store has one in April. They have better swag and the races are more fun. It's all about the free stuff for me!!

I have registered for the Resolution Run on December 31 - it has 5 and 10k options - I'm not sure yet which one I'll do. I'm in it for the experience and also for the fabulous jacket that comes with the entry fee. This will be my 3rd Resolution Run, and the jackets are really good quality and worth way more than the fee. This year's jacket is bright yellow.

I have decided to not go back to Crossfit for now. As soon as the date approached for my return I started with the anxiety and panic and over-eating. I want so badly to compete and keep up with everyone else in the gym that I make myself crazy. I can't keep up with 20 year olds. I was exhausted from trying - so much so that the day after a crossfit workout I was so exhausted I just didn't have the energy to run, and running is where I want to be. Ideally, private crossfit sessions would be best for me - but it's just too expensive. I am keeping up with all the things I can do at home - situps, burpees, squats, dips, pushups, skipping and anything I can do involving my own body weight. I have made a promise to myself to never slack off on that.

Hopefully, my problems with Podbean are over and done with and my podcasts will be showing up regularly again. Thanks to everybody who tried to download - I hope I didn't lose you as listeners!

Episode 28

I haven't posted anything for a while because I have been treating myself to a days' long pity-party.

I made a huge mistake at the beginning of the summer. I decided that I was doing so much exercise and feeling so good from the endorphins that the exercise produced, that I could cut back on my anti-depression medication. By mid-August I was completely off them and feeling pretty good. However, I started bingeing again in a big way - almost always at night and always in secret.

It finally dawned on me, that while the exercise was lifting the depression, it wasn't doing anything for the underlying anxiety. Anxiety is what makes me binge - on bad carbohydrates that provide the seretonin boost that make my brain quiet and make me feel better - which is exactly what the anti-depressants do. DUHHHHH. I'm back on them.

I expect it to take a month to six weeks to start feeling the full effects of the medication, but I'm already noticing subtle differences.

I've never given up on exercise, and I'll never give up on finding the right balance for me where food is concerned. Bless my sister for opening my eyes to the fact that I never allow myself to actually 'enjoy' anything I eat. It's never too late to learn and so I'm starting a new page in life and on we go.